Belichick admits being incorrect on rule, takes blame for penalty

One day after saying a costly penalty against his team in a 30-27 loss to the New York Jets was an incorrect call, New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick admitted he had the rule wrong.

The Patriots’ Chris Jones was called for pushing a teammate into the opponent’s formation during a missed 56-yard field goal attempt in overtime, which gave the Jets a new set of downs and moved the ball up 15 yards. Four plays later, Jets kicker Nick Folk hit a 42-yard field goal to win the game.

Belichick claimed afterward that the call was wrong because the penalty applied only to players coming in who weren’t on the line of scrimmage. The rule book states players can be on the line of scrimmage and still commit the infraction, which Belichick admitted yesterday.

“Obviously we are wrong,” he said. “It’s our job to understand the rules. Whatever the bottom line is, we didn’t do it properly.”

Belichick also accepted blame for the penalty, which Jones did after the game yesterday.

“I think Chris is obviously trying to do the right thing by stepping up and taking responsibility, but that’s not his responsibility, it’s ours,” Belichick said. “We just have to do a better job of coaching that. It’s not his fault, that’s on me (and) the coaching staff.”